Daily Archives: July 21, 2002

For 125 years, it’s been the law of the land, and it’s served this nation well. And the Bush Adminstration wants it weakened or overturned. Will “libertarians” please explain to me why the Republicans are the lesser evil? (Not that I think that the Democrats are evil, but the “libertarians” do.) Or are armed soldiers patrolling the streets part of the libertarian vision?

There are three things I worried this country would lose as a result of Sept. 11, and I’m seeing signs of all three. One is its status as a multiethnic, inclusive entity. That one hasn’t taken too many hits as yet, but there are some people nibbling at it. The second is being a secular society, where religion is essentially private. Already under siege in recent years, it’s taking blow after blow, with things like one of the men entrusted with Constitutional interpretation deciding his powers come from God.

And the third is that the United States is a civilian society. Order is not, should not, be maintained by the military. The President is Commander in Chief, but he is a civilian. The Army, anywhere other than around its bases, isn’t a major presence; the only man in a federal uniform I see on a daily basis is a postal worker. Ralph Eberhart is an Air Force general, and I’m mostly used to seeing Air Force jets, but still…

Don’t get me wrong. I have a lot of respect for the military, and they do a great job. But their job is protection against outside threats. This “Homeland Defense” stuff is not, essentially, an outside threat. It’s a police matter. Our national police agencies screwed up, but turning their duties over to the military is not the answer. Nothing John Ashcroft has done will endanger our liberty more than repealing the Posse Comitatus Act.